India Political Highlights: Modi congratulates Netanyahu for becoming Israel PM for sixth time

Here are today's top political stories from India.

PM Modi speaks to Netanyahu on phone, congratulates him for becoming Israel PM for sixth time

Blackmailing, arm-twisting will not be tolerated: Punjab CM warns protesting officers

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday warned Punjab Civil Service (PCS) officers, who are on mass leave to protest the "illegal" arrest of their colleague, to join duty by 2 pm, failing which they will be suspended.Such a strike amounts to blackmailing and arm-twisting, he said.Read more

It's not a caste census but a caste-based survey. It will give data about the financial condition of people: Tejashwi Yadav

If it's wrong then all types of counting be it of Hindus, Muslims, SC, ST & animals are wrong. It was unanimously passed in Assembly by all parties incl BJP: Bihar Dy CM

2020 North East Delhi violence | Delhi's Karkardooma Court today framed the charges against ex-MCD councillor Tahir Hussain in a money laundering case.

He has been charged with the offence of funding the riots using alleged laundered money. He has not pleaded guilty.

Modi will flag off World’s Longest River Cruise-MV Ganga Vilas & inaugurate Tent City at Varanasi, UP on 13th Jan via video conferencing.

He'll also inaugurate & lay the foundation stones for several other inland waterways projects worth more than Rs 1000 cr during the event.

BJP leader RP Singh writes to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting him for "action required to be taken by Govt of India against culprits of 1984 anti-Sikh riots as per Justice Dhingra Report, as assured to Supreme Court of India."

In TN Assembly

DMK MLA N Eramakrishnan moves a Motion of Thanks to Gov's Address, stating "This House records its agony for the act of Governor by omitting and including some portions in his address which was sent by Tamil Nadu Govt,approved by Governor and circulated in Assembly..."

CBI conducts searches at 50 locations in connection with corruption in Food Corporation in India; one DGM arrested

This summit is taking place in MP at a time when India's Azadi ka Amrit Kaal has begun. Together, all of us are working for making a developed India. When we talk of a developed India, it's not just our aspiration but the resolution of every Indian: PM

Not just we the Indians but every institution & expert in the world seems to be confident about this. The IMF sees India as a bright spot in the global economy. The World Bank says that India is in a better position to deal with global headwinds than many other countries: PM

This is because of India's strong macroeconomic fundamentals. OECD has said that India will be among the fastest-growing economies in the G20 groups this year. According to Morgan Stanley, India is moving towards becoming the world's 3rd largest economy in next 4-5 years. The CEO of McKinsey's has said that this is not only India's decade but India's century. Institutions & credible voices that track the global economy have unprecedented confidence in India. The same confidence is also shared by global investors: PM Modi

'This is low level politics,' says NCP leader Hasan Mushrif after Enforcemen Directorate raids

Supreme Court adjourns for January 20 hearing on the plea filed by Ashish Mishra challenging the Allahabad High Court order which denied bail to him in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.

UP Govt tells SC that charges have been framed against the accused in the case. Supreme Court notes that report of Additional Sessions Judge Lakhimpur Kheri says it will take 5 years for the trial to conclude as there are 208 witnesses in the case.

Even during a once-in-a-century crisis, we took the path of reforms. India has been on the path of reform, transform & perform since 2014. Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan has imparted greater momentum to it: PM Modi in MP

As a result, India has become an attractive destination for investment: PM

Today's New India is going ahead by also trusting its private sector. We have opened several strategic sectors like Defence, Mining and Space for the private sector: PM Narendra Modi at the Global Investors' Summit in Indore, Madhya Pradesh

India on path of reform, transform and perform since 2014: PM Modi

Supreme Court agrees to give an urgent hearing to the petition challenging Bihar government's notification for conducting the caste-based census in the state. Supreme Court says it will hear the matter on Friday, 13th January.

Congress kickstarts its election campaign for the 2023 Karnataka Assembly Polls as party's state president DK Shivakumar and former CM Siddaramaiah begin party's "People's Voice Yatra" from Belagavi today

O Panneerselvam arrives at Tamil Nadu Assembly

Congress party's Bharat Jodo Yatra underway in Punjab's Fatehgarh Sahib

Congress party's Bharat Jodo Yatra underway in Punjab's Fatehgarh Sahib

AIADMK MLAs, including Edappadi K. Palaniswami, arrive at the Tamil Nadu Assembly in black shirts, as a mark of protest against the DMK govt over the law and order issue and Speaker Appavu over the seating arrangement row between EPS and OPS

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu will travel to India and Bangladesh January 12-15, for meetings on a range of priorities including energy, trade, security cooperation, religious freedom, labor, and human rights.

In India, the Assistant Secretary will participate in the India- US Forum. Assistant Secretary Lu will also meet with senior Indian officials to discuss ways in which the United States and India can further expand energy, trade, security, and human rights cooperation.

'This is biological': RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat bats for rights of LGBTQ citizens

In an interview to Organiser and Panchjanya, Bhagwat also spoke in support of the LGBT community, saying that they too should have their own private space and the 'Sangh will have to promote this view'.

"People with such proclivities have always been there; for as long as humans have existed... This is biological, a mode of life. We want them to have their own private space and to feel that they, too, are a part of the society. This is such a simple issue. We will have to promote this view because all other ways of resolving it will be futile," he said.

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Governor or Centre’s agent provocateur?

Governors do not have any power to add to or detract from the speech, which lays down the views and policies of the state government. The rules are clear on this, and it has been the precedent, with rare violations which have been held as wrong and unacceptable. Ravi has unprecedentedly added some words of his own to the speech, which is egregiously wrong.

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Shashi Tharoor keeps Congress camps guessing

Is Tharoor really interested in focusing on Kerala politics, or is he trying to put pressure on the party leadership for a key position at the national level? These are the questions doing the rounds among party workers.

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Day after Rahul Gandhi targeted RSS, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij says the Congress leader should attend an RSS 'shakha' for few days as he knows nothing about the organisation

"He remains a Pappu," Khattar said referring to the term which means naive and ignorant and is often used by the BJP leaders to target Rahul Gandhi.

Attacking the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Rahul Gandhi on Monday, during a corner meeting in Ambala as part of his Bharat Jodo Yatra, had called its members the "21st century Kauravas".

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Learnt a lot from Bharat Jodo Yatra. Spoke to farmers, shopkeepers, labourers, unemployed youth: Rahul before starting yatra's Punjab leg

Farmers walk more than us every day: Rahul Gandhi

They're trying to pit one caste against the other, one language against the other. They've deteriorated atmosphere of the country. We thought the nation must be shown a different path - of love, unity & brotherhood. So, we began this yatra: Rahul Gandhi

BJP spreading hatred, but India is about brotherhood, unity and respect. That's why this yatra is successful: Rahul at Fatehgarh Sahib

We thought that this yatra should raise the biggest issues of India - hatred, violence, unemployment and inflation and fight against these issues: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi at Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab

PM to address Invest Madhya Pradesh - Global Investors Summit 2023 via video conferencing

ED raids under way at multiple locations linked to former Maharashtra Minister and senior NCP leader Hasan Mushrif

The raids are in connection with a case related to sugar mill corruption, says the agency